The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has thanked the people of Punjab for its victory in the municipal elections. The party stated that the results of the municipal elections reaffirm the trust that urban voters have shown in the Aam Aadmi Party, just as they did in the by-elections.
Punjab AAP President Aman Arora, along with AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang and party leaders Dr. Sunny Ahluwalia and Ferry Sofat, addressed a press conference at the party office in Chandigarh to thank the public and congratulate all the victorious candidates.
Arora declared that the Aam Aadmi Party is now officially the No. 1 party in Punjab's urban areas. He said the illusion that the BJP and Congress are the strongest parties in urban areas has been shattered. In this election, AAP won more than 55% of the seats. Together, Akali-BJP and Congress couldn't even secure 45%.
Arora mentioned that out of 977 wards, the results of 961 wards were declared yesterday. Of these, AAP candidates won in 522 wards. Meanwhile, Congress managed to win only 20% of the seats, securing 191 wards. The BJP and Akali Dal faced a crushing defeat in this election. BJP won merely 7 percent of the seats, with 69 of its candidates emerging victorious. '
Similarly, Akali Dal managed to win only 3 percent of the seats, with just 31 of its candidates securing victory. BSP had 5 winners and could secure victory in only 0.5 percent of the seats. The number of independent candidates who won stood at 143, and their victory percentage was approximately 15 percent.
Urban voters have shown a mirror to the BJP, rejecting its anti-Punjab stance. Arora added that in many wards, the Akali Dal and BJP struggled to even find candidates to contest, while Congress too faced difficulties in fielding candidates. AAP was the only party that fielded candidates under its election symbol in every ward.
Expressing happiness over the results, Arora said that AAP achieved a landslide victory in the Patiala Municipal Corporation. In Jalandhar and Ludhiana, AAP fell just two to four seats short of a majority, and the party is confident of having its mayor in these cities as well.
Arora said that the Aam Aadmi Party has achieved a significant milestone in these elections. From 0% to 55%, this is a historic leap. Earlier, AAP did not have a mayor or a municipal council president anywhere. Now, the party will have mayors in three cities and presidents in 31 municipal councils and committees.
He credited this victory to the vision of Party Convener Arvind Kejriwal, the pro-people governance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the past nearly three years, and the hard work of party leaders and workers. He also appreciated and congratulated party workers and leaders for their efforts.
Responding to the propaganda of opposition parties, Arora said that for the first time in decades, municipal elections in Punjab were held in a completely free and transparent manner. The victory of a large number of independent candidates is proof of this. He cited the example of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home constituency, Sangrur, where 10 independent candidates emerged victorious.
Similarly, in Barnala’s Handiaya Municipal Council, a Congress candidate won by just one vote. He said that Barnala is the constituency of AAP’s Meet Hayer, who has been an MLA and minister and is currently the area’s MP. If Hayer wanted to manipulate the results, the Congress candidate would not have won by just one vote.
Arora said these incidents prove that the elections were conducted freely and fairly, without any interference from the state government. He contrasted this with the large-scale rigging and manipulation that occurred during the Congress and Akali-BJP governments. During their rule, opposition parties couldn’t even imagine winning municipal elections. This fairness has been made possible under the AAP government.
Arora expressed hope that the new councilors from all parties will work sincerely for the people. He assured that the AAP government will work above party politics to collaborate with all municipal corporations and councils. AAP’s goal is to develop cities and work together without conflicts or disputes.
He guaranteed that regardless of which party the mayor or president belongs to, the state government will provide full financial support to all corporations and councils.